Method and storage drive for writing portions of blocks of data in respective arrays of memory cells of corresponding integrated circuits

• US 8,874,874 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Wu, Zining, Nguyen, Lau, Sutardja, Pantas, Lee, Chi-Kong, Yoon, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/028,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103, 711/154, 711170-171
• US Class Current: 711/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1068 in sector programmable memories, e.g. flash disk G06F11/1072 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays

Abstract

A storage drive includes a first integrated circuit, a second integrated circuit, an interface, an encoder, and a write module. The first integrated circuit includes a first array of memory cells. The second integrated circuit includes a second array of memory cells. The interface is connected to a host. The interface is configured to receive a first block of data transmitted from the host to the storage drive. The encoder is configured to encode the first block of data. The write module is configured to write (i) a first portion of the encoded first block of data to a first row of the first array of memory cells, and (ii) a second portion of the encoded first block of data to a first row of the second array of memory cells.

Claims

1. A storage drive comprising:

a first integrated circuit comprising a first array of memory cells;

a second integrated circuit comprising a second array of memory cells;

an interface connected to a host, wherein the interface is configured to receive a first block of data transmitted from the host to the storage drive;

an encoder configured to encode the first block of data; and

a write module configured to write (i) a first portion of the encoded first block of data to a first row of the first array of memory cells, and (ii) a second portion of the encoded first block of data to a first row of the second array of memory cells.

2. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the first row of the second array of memory cells has a same row number as the first row of the second array of memory cells.

3. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the first row of the second array of memory cells has a different row number than the first row of the second array of memory cells.

4. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the first row of the second array of memory cells has a row number greater than a row number of the first row of the second array of memory cells.

5. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein:

the interface is configured to receive a plurality of blocks of data from the host;

the plurality of blocks of data include the first block of data and a second block of data;

the encoder is configured to encode the plurality of blocks of data;

the encoded plurality of blocks of data comprise a page of data; and

the write module is configured to write (i) a first portion of the page of data in the first array of memory cells, and (ii) a second portion of the page of data in the second array of memory cells.

6. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein:

the interface is configured to receive a plurality of blocks of data from the host;

the plurality of blocks of data include the first block of data and a second block of data;

the encoder is configured to encode the plurality of blocks of data to provide a first encoded block of data and a second encoded block of data; and

the write module is configured to allocate (i) a first portion of a physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing a first portion of the first encoded block of data, and (ii) a second portion of the physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing a first portion of the second encoded block of data.

7. The storage drive of claim 6, wherein the write module is configured to allocate (i) the first portion of the physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing a second portion of the first encoded block of data, and (ii) the second portion of the physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing the second portion of the second encoded block of data.

8. The storage drive of claim 6, wherein the write module is configured to allocate (i) a first portion of a physical page of the second array of memory cells for storing a second portion of the first encoded block of data, and (ii) a second portion of the physical page of the second array of memory cells for storing the second portion of the second encoded block of data.

9. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the write module is configured to write the first portion of the encoded first block of data in the first array of memory cells while writing a second portion of the encoded first block of data in the second array of memory cells.

10. The storage drive of claim 9, wherein:

the interface is configured to receive a second block of data from the host;

the encoder is configured to encode the second block of data; and

the write module is configured to write a first portion of the encoded second block of data in the second array of memory cells while writing (i) the first portion of the encoded first block of data in the first array of memory cells, and (ii) the second portion of the first block of data in the second array of memory cells.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at an interface of a storage drive, a first block of data transmitted from a host to the storage drive;

encoding the first block of data;

writing a first portion of the encoded first block of data to a first row of a first array of memory cells, wherein the first array of memory cells are in a first integrated circuit; and

writing a second portion of the encoded first block of data to a first row of a second array of memory cells, wherein the second array of memory cells are in a second integrated circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first row of the second array of memory cells has a same row number as the first row of the second array of memory cells.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first row of the second array of memory cells has a different row number than the first row of the second array of memory cells.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first row of the second array of memory cells has a row number greater than a row number of the first row of the second array of memory cells.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of blocks of data from the host and at the interface of the storage drive, wherein the plurality of blocks of data include the first block of data and a second block of data;

encoding the plurality of blocks of data, wherein the encoded plurality of blocks of data comprise a page of data;

writing a first portion of the page of data in the first array of memory cells; and

writing a second portion of the page of data in the second array of memory cells.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of blocks of data from the host at the interface of the storage drive, wherein the plurality of blocks of data include the first block of data and a second block of data;

encoding the plurality of blocks of data to provide a first encoded block of data and a second encoded block of data;

allocating a first portion of a physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing a first portion of the first encoded block of data; and

allocating a second portion of the physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing a first portion of the second encoded block of data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

allocating the first portion of the physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing a second portion of the first encoded block of data; and

allocating the second portion of the physical page of the first array of memory cells for storing the second portion of the second encoded block of data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

allocating a first portion of a physical page of the second array of memory cells for storing a second portion of the first encoded block of data; and

allocating a second portion of the physical page of the second array of memory cells for storing the second portion of the second encoded block of data.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising writing the first portion of the encoded first block of data in the first array of memory cells while writing a second portion of the encoded first block of data in the second array of memory cells.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a second block of data from the host and at the interface of the storage drive;

encoding the second block of data; and

writing a first portion of the encoded second block of data in the second array of memory cells while writing (i) the first portion of the encoded first block of data in the first array of memory cells, and (ii) the second portion of the first block of data in the second array of memory cells.